Tuesday, July 12, 2005

BRC 41: Harris Ueng: Branding, Big Business, & Going Green

This whole not sleeping thing isn't part of my normal routine, but I'm getting a sneaking suspicion it is for Harris...

It's the Year of Sustainability. I'm sure it's been said somewhere in the world already, but if not, you heard it here at Sustainablog first.

As a business, especially in developing countries who are rapidly buying up goods and services around the world (China says what?), it's almost impossible to do business if you don't have some sort of sustainable model to offer.

In the article, Ron Irwin quotes Environmental Kuznets Curve, which (loosely stated) states that poor countries who are developing will seek out cleaner alternatives because no one in their right mind wants to breathe and drink their own muck soup.

This has been largely true in China as their demands on electrical generation rapidly expands as their society's appetite for electronics expands with the economic growth. They have been heavily funding green sources of electricity such as solar and wind power. In this recent article from China Daily, they report that Shanghai has been selling "green" power to industry at a higher price as the municipality and industry want to raise the awareness of sustainability with the general populace.

The branding of "green" and sustainability isn't just happening here in the US, but internationally with other large movers and shakers as well.

Note: Ivan Storck at SustainableMarketing.com also drew attention to this article. Ivan had planned to join us tonight, but he ended having to, you know, work.